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Black souls are those of sentient, humanoid beings such as Imperials, Argonians, Khajiit and Dremora, while white souls are those of animals and certain lesser Daedra. All black souls are of the grand level. The main benefit of a black soul gem is that it can capture grand-level souls from humanoids, whereas those souls cannot normally be captured. Black soul gems can also absorb souls that are smaller than grand. These sources tend to be plentiful and easier to kill, compared with common grand-level white soul sources, such as mammoths. Nelacar can transform the star of Daedric PrinceAzura, into a black soul gem with unlimited uses. This artifact is known as "The Black Star".

After a black soul gem is used for enchanting, the soul that was inside it goes to the Soul Cairn.

Souls snared in black soul gems can be of any type, although, unlike standard soul gems, they can encapsulate the souls of humanoids. There are many methods by which souls are trapped in black soul gems, the most conventional method being the Soul TrapConjurationspell. The perk "Soul Stealer" allows Bound weapons to soul trap targets, and an enchantment serving the same function can be added to ordinary weapons. Black soul gems can also be used to create items at the Atronach Forge.

The souls of humanoids trapped in these soul gems remain conscious. They are generally regarded as unethical, and their use is prohibited at the College of Winterhold, despite the institution's lenient stance on the practice of Necromancy. Soul Trapping humanoids is considered a crime in many of Skyrim'sHolds.

It is also possible to get black soul gems from Gulum-Ei at the end of Scoundrel's Folly, a Thieves Guild quest. The Dragonborn is given three random soul gems as a reward, any of which could be a black soul gem.

If sided with the vampires, a respawning black soul gem can be found to the left of the arcane enchanter in a master-locked display case on the second floor of the first room on the left, after entering Castle Volkihar. DG The black soul gem and the lock respawn every 35 in-game days.